Al Neuharth: Women a big factor in Congress

With President Obama's re-inauguration for a second term, it's important to focus on the members of Congress with whom he'll have to work.

Women are the biggest new factor. They now hold 98 of the 535 U.S. Senate and House seats.

Still not enough. But, a huge gain from when the first woman was elected to Congress. That was Rep. Jeannette Rankin from Montana in 1916.

Those who represent us in Congress and in our state legislatures need to be representative of all of us. In age. Race. Sex.

In the olden days, middle-age white men ran the show. Not just in politics but in business and other activities.

I was one of them as head of Gannett, parent company of USA TODAY and the nationwide chain of newspapers and broadcast stations.

Fortunately, I had and recognized women who were every bit as capable - or more so - than the men around us. Three of them, past and present:

? Nancy Woodhull, who helped found and run USA TODAY before her untimely death at age 52.

? Cathie Black, who was publisher of USA TODAY for seven years. She previously worked for Rupert Murdoch and later worked for Hearst.

? Gracia Martore, who now is the boss of Gannett.

In business and in politics, women have played an ever larger role.

The exclamation point for this, of course, will be when we inaugurate our first female president. Probably Hillary Clinton in 2017.

All of us - especially old guys like me - should be grateful at the growing role of women in all aspects of our lives.

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"The new Congress features a record 61 House Democratic women. But, we're not done. We want more - because nothing is more wholesome than the increased participation of women in the political process."

- Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader

"Recruiting female candidates is the only way to increase women's presence in politics. When women run, they win. They just don't throw their hats into the ring in the first place."

- Jennifer Lawless, Associate Professor of Government and Director of the Women and Politics Institute, American University

"The last election saw the number of women in the U.S. Congress rise to 18.3 percent in the U.S., but we still lag behind the global average, which the Inter-Parliamentary Union estimates at 20.3 percent as of Oct. 31, 2012."

- Rangita de Silva de Alwis, Director of the Global Women's Leadership Initiative, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

AlNeuharthis founder of USA TODAY and former president and CEO ofGannett.

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Al Neuharth: Women a big factor in Congress

With President Obama's re-inauguration for a second term, it's important to focus on the members of Congress with whom he'll have to work.